


Notes for my Tales of Symphonia works AU and otherwise

by Kasan_Soulblade



Series: Of Shattered Glass/These Warped Perspectives [21]
Category: Tales of Symphonia
Genre: AUs, Chapter snipits, Character studies, Gen, Notes for my symphoina stories, Tales of symphonia headcanons, Timelines, spoilers within for game and my writing, writing style analysis and notes
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-09-24
Updated: 2019-10-27
Packaged: 2020-10-27 09:16:06
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 13,253
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20757974
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kasan_Soulblade/pseuds/Kasan_Soulblade
Summary: This is an attempt to salvage and discard a large pile of notes for my Symphonia stories, ranging from the original (and my first) large scale fanfic "Shards of Regeneration" (05) to my more modern AU "Unkindness as seen by light of day" (16 to present).  This will of course have game spoilers and spoilers the plot points for my fanfictions from both stories, some of which have not been completed.  Each chapter title will be notated with subject and which continuity it will be detailing in the title and if there's any needed warning for subject matter and triggering there will be a note in italics at the start of the chapter.





	1. Chapter 1

Dialogue, accents, and profanity usage in my Tales story and general notes for dialogue as a whole.

Genre: Tales of Symphonia, AU and Shards verse related.

_Subject warning, there's going to be (obviously per title) a discussion about certain swears, it's not used to raise hackles but to shoe character and development._

Profanity is something of a tell in language and considering it comes from the baser part of the psych (pain and anger) it's perhaps the most obvious one. When spontaneous,( think of stubbing one's toe and the general response once a yelps done and over with) it can give away language, local, an even something of one's general demeanor unless one has either been trained by others or self not to do so.

And even that's something of a tell.

With a little effort one can quickly distinguish local from specific words, or perhaps a families previous one if said swearer has connections to their family previous local and isn't desperately trying to train away that trait.

For example someone trying to be heavy handed might swap out the traditional "son of a bitch" could easily swap out the last word for any distasteful specie of fish. Derogatory terms like "land lubber" enforce an us against them, a more villainous character, or one with a very checkered family tree, might threaten to "kneel haul" someone when angry. A rite of passage might be considered "getting their sea legs" and so on and so forth.

The militant might "draw and quarter" instead, talk of a "firing squad" and what not.

And of course there are the Desians and thier "inferior beings"

When writing dialogue a sketchy idea of geological location and history of the character helps when fleshing out the realism.

Accents, dropping certain sounds, and verbal tics are a bit of a balancing act that can be tabbed on top of word choice profane or not. However be warned that unless someone is trying (the extent of that trying can range from very hard to an after thought) you're somewhat stuck with accent and verbal ticks. Certain circumstances like stress can make things thicker, stutters, accents, and what not, as the concentration going into comprehension for others can be dropped in thoughtlessness. And like pain, terror can have someone lapse fully into first language or drop all training for others to comprehend. In regards of developing an ear I've found listening to interviews by people from certain geological regions helped me in developing something of an ear and luckily I live somewhere where bilingual is a very common thing and while I've minimal skill for other languages I was able to get the idea of how languages, accents and what not work phonically.

As an example of turning what was heard into what was written (Syt's dialogue in my older Shards works for an example) lead to a long game of writing the dialogue normally, then back tracking to slip in appropriate sayings, then back tracking again to butcher certain sounds, then reading the whole out loud to make sure it sounded right. It could look a mess with 's, dashes, and what not indicating cut off sounds but if it wasn't comprehensible when read out loud then I figured no one was going to get it and it was back to the drawing board to try again. With practice there's a rhythm to it all, each step once followed religiously is dropped until you can just plow in with that character just talking naturally but it takes practice.

As a suggestion when starting out I penned five turns of phrases that I dubbed for only that character. 

Canonically for example Kratos' scornful grunts, indeeds and what not were utterly his, other characters using them (a scene with Noishe, one with Lloyd) were instantly commented upon by those around both of them as Kratos rubbing off. Lloyd retained his spats of "damn", "I got it but I don't" and what not but there were hard and fast rules. No more than x usages per paragraph or per page, if I could glance at a page and see the same line again and again I was doing something wrong unless the situation was very very unusually and it made sense in context.

When using a character with a variety of verbal tics there was a trick to train readers to understand it beyond the phonics trick. That was to introduce a character slowly, have them show up, spit out a few lines, then repeat, if they were going to be a long lasting character or the dialogue was going to be center to the story (as in the setting was to be static) then you slide up the exposure in bits in pieces until it stops looking and seeming strange. This seems to simulate the rather slow process IRL of hearing an accent enough that you get what the person is saying.

Also as an aside it's perfectly acceptable to have a character say "what" or express confusion and frustration when hitting the brick wall of a thick accent, new language, or simply someone who speaks very quickly when excited.

On further notes and ideas it's a good idea when dealing with a long reaching work to have a few notes about word choice and location. If a piece has multiple towns and each is to have it's own feel a quick note about specific turns of phrase that are unique or even a tidbit about what type of language being used is usually enough to establish local flavor and reinforce it.

Because this is related to my work in Shards and Symphonia there is an extra barometer in lingo, adherence to the wit of Martel, because religion is so prominent in the work the use of religious phrases in swear and lay speech is important for it marks the towns piety and it's value to Cruxis

Examples from my shards and AU Unkindness notes

Town name/ predominant traits that effect lingo/ adherence to Martel write

Iselia/ land lock, agricultural, / borderline fanatical, newer generation moreso than elder

Triet/ mercantile focus, blunt (bandit/mercenary background), melting pot between sea, land lock and own culture -fluid- / scarcely present

Palma costa/ militant, class-est, pompous (for sailors more triet like w nautical bent) / ranges from fanatical to anti depending on part of town

Asguard/ land lock, historical, scholarly / fanatical, hysteria per seal status

Luin/ land lock, mercantile, militant/ fanatical per ranchmaster

because of the setting the characters have a similar set up and list with a few additions.

name/ prominent lingo list/ religious piety/ languages known

Sancrest/ Palma Costa, waffled between priesthood norm and sailor per past/ pious/ common in Shards semi fluent in dwarf, in Unkindness semi fluent in elf, fully fluent in angelic.

Yashin/ Desian norm, restrains self around younger party members/ atheist/ Kharlanic, human, semi fluent in angelic.

Lloyd/ iselian norm w dwarven influences/ pagan/ dwarven, human, learning angelic in bits and pieces.

Colette/ isealin norm with heavy priest overlap/ religious/ angelic, common, (historical base for all languages aka kharlanic) per religious studies

Genis/ same as Colette/ religious/ elf, human/common, recognizes some ancient runes per exposure to Raine

Raine/ iselian norm restrains self with younger members/ religious/ elf, common/human, fluent in reading ancient runes (kharlanic)

Kratos/ appears to mimic asgard norm / pagan/ common, elf, angelic, kharlanic (natural tongue),

Yuan/ appears to mimic desian norm w inclination for dramatic purple prose / atheist/ elf, common, kharlanic, angelic (kharlanic is his natural language)

Notes for Desian lingo. will use butchered elven slang, heavy focus on breeding, speculation of enemies ancestor, racist terminology, heavily influenced by bandit pigin speech

Notes for Angelic lingo. is established language with own grammar rules. considered holy, can only be used by chosens, priests, or in ritual, angels suspected to be it's origin. Will be elaborated elsewhere at length.

Notes for dwarven lingo. only taught to dwarves and their immediate families, lower pitches and growls used to distinguish discussion from argument. concrete and physical centrist language.

Notes for Elven lingo. only taught to elves and their immediate full blood family, gestures and words to convey meaning though most not in elven clans will only know spoken language. mystical and winding language, dubbed "pretty sounding" and "romantic" by other communities and snippets of it have been absorbed by other peoples.

Notes for Kharlan. While not the original language of times start it's the first to show up in appropriated, censored, and archaic documents. teaching and learning it is illegal and any who know of it are highly suspect in other cultures.


	2. Unkindness plot points and character notes SPOILERS

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Major spoilers and rough plot point layout for unkindness there will be serious narritive spoilers throughout.

Unkindness notes

  
Background plot point for “Unkindness”

  
Yuan has acquired the Angelous ex-sphere: This fact is known by his Ranch's council and Botta and suspected by Kvar. 

Yuan is somewhat influenced by Annas’ presence (he talks to her and she's somewhat able to respond as her soul has not been absorbed by the stone) and Yashin knows of the situation, Yuan's history, and his true goals, as his and Yuan's relationship is very open.

Yashin is a human male who was adopted by Yuan in near infancy. He's aware of his biological parentage but like many renegades and desians views anyone outside of the organization with hostility. He refers to Yuan as dad or Lord-Father and has established a large if complex family out of the half elves of Triet's ranch. He's presently dating a engineer in a rival division and their relationship is part competition part friendship.

Notes: he will not be shipped with any canon characters in the Iselian group, if Tethe'alla comes up this will likely also hold true.  
  
  
Main plot points

  
General/background, Renegade centric

Unkindness is canon up to the ending of Double Edged Sword and Defiance, after that point it deviates sharply.

Yashin is integrated into the Renegades when Yuan who is doing a sweep of the Iselian area as a means to see if he can assist Kratos and Anna escape Kvar's pursuit. There he finds Anna, takes her exsphere and in a search for survivors in Iselia finds Yashin when doing a sweep of Iselia (going to help Kratos covertly). yuan's medical staff discover the extent of his mental damages done to the boy by angelic mana backwash and during attempted treatment the walls of the boy's psyche are broken down and the memories behind them are irrevocable destroyed. Also they find evidence of the exebula disease and treatment winds up doing serious physical harm to the child. Because of this Yashin is set back to a younger age then he physically is and part in guilt Yuan adopts and raises the child. He steps down from being the Renegade leader for a number of years (until the boy's stable and past his tenth year) as such the Renegades are now actually two friendly organizations focused against Cruxis’ goals. With Yuan running Sylvarant’s operations and Botta handling Tethe’alla. In an emergency Yuan would take control of both factions and is technically responsible for the actions of both sides, but he’s somewhat out of the political loop in Tethe’alla as his attentions are on the world geared to the Regeneration.

As an aside, the name Yashin is in reference to a Renegade commander from the first council, a half elven inventor who after a long span of time fighting cruxis stepped down and retired from combat to wander the world as a civilian tinkerer with a centered focus on agricultural improvements. He was eventually found spreading anti-cruxis propaganda and executed by the church.

Linguistically Yashin is the elven word for false, in angelic it means liar but without the negative connection to the word (there'd be an "L" somewhere in there if it was)

Vor'esse, Yashin's adopted last name and Yuan's self chosen last name is a corruption on an elven insult towards half elves. It means empty, or void touched person (literally Vorl or vor is Shadow/Evil and esse is person). with overtures of damnation as a side. Both are aware of it and make it something of an inside joke on who can make the most clergy person squirm when they introduce themselves in full. Yuan's winning but he's had a longer time to introduce himself and keep tally, something that Yashin points out is very unfair.

  
During Botta’s tenure as leader the Renegades are much more active and militant in Tethe’alla, in Sylvarant they shift focus from supplies (ex-sphere extraction, sabotage) and set about rescuing the peoples held in the ranches. This is part a two pronged effort to discredit Cruxis and the desians. Treatment centers for those afflicted by Toxicocious and the beginnings of the Exebula ailment are scattered about Sylvarant and there is a growing population of peoples in Sylvarant who are roaming wild (unaffiliated with Cruxis, Renegades, or Desians) who know of both worlds, know that there are splits in the Desians and are spreading those stories the Renegades are letting spill out. 

Furthermore the peoples of Sylvarant are actually resisting the church’s attempts to silence these refugees (usually survivors from the ranches and the Renegades rehabilitation centers), thus lessening the influences of the church in Sylvarant and causing friction.

  
High friction points presently are Luin and Asgard (though Asgard is locked under the heels of an oppressive church regimen due to the fact he church claims only it’s Chosen can suppress the beast of the Alter awakened (she can’t and is unaware of that situation) they will revert to most hostile if the situation isn’t handled most delicately.  
In Tethe’alla a more aggressive approach for the rescues (forced assimilation into the Renegades) is being practiced as a last ditch preservation move. Both church, military, and monarchy are aware of the Renegades and view them as a sacrilegious organization that will undermine Cruxis’ favor with its activities. They are being blamed for the massacre of half elves and known or open members are being rounded up and executed. The Renegades hold Falnoir and some of the fringe settlements as neutral or friendly territory but are actively yanking out their resources from untenable regions and herding most of the peoples out of hostile countries (Maltokio’s provinces) as fast as possible.

If Falnoir were ever to come under attack Yuan would be forced one hundred percent out of retirement to remedy the situation.

Tethe’alla's governments having felt the bite of Sylvarant's resources (that the renegades used to ship in for trade and have pulled back from doing so per hostilities) has offered a parlay, Sylvarant’s Chosen’s death for the cessation of hostilities and resumption of resources. Botta is considering this and he and Yuan are presently in disagreement on whether or not they should accept.

  
Present terms of the Tethe'alla government is such that the government will not attack the Renegades and any associated with them overtly until a denial has been made. If the tethe'allan government were to fully declare war the Tethe'allan Renegades would hold certain points until their bases were broken down to to the point of being inhabitable then close the gate behind them into Sylvarant. At which point they would begin to _aide_ the Sylvarant Regeneration and set forces inside Tethe'alla to hinder their attempts to do their own regeneration. Agreement would likely see the Renegades absorbed into the Tethe'allan government something which neither Yuan or Botta want. As of right now the Renegades are seeking to stall the Regeneration and report until a final decision has been met.

  
Yuan has some unconventional plans for how to go about that, inspired by Colette  
  
Iselia team notes:

  
Tylor, Raine, Genis, Colette  
  
The relationship between Rain and Genis is much the same as it is in Shards verse and very close to Symphonia canon. Genis’ needs though are the binding force between the Sibs and Colette’s family. Tylor is the bind that connects Sage's to church and is Colette’s tie to the church beyond her status as Chosen.

  
As Tylor is rebellious at best he’s infected Colette with a streak of curiosity and defiance, though the Chosen is much more politer than her priestly mentor (pastor) she isn’t taking the Regeneration journey lying down and planned initially to appeal the angels with an alternate plan (to purify the world with good to see if that would aid the Goddess’ healing) if they refuse to heed her suggestion she’ll go through with the regeneration.

She’s unaware that Tylor is more than prepared to offer himself in her steed and plans to do so if the angels insist she go through the trial. As it is to happen soon and he knows he needs to be present to propose his body as vessel for the burdens and has been taking to hovering over her. If they refuse and attempt to force Colette he plans to arrange abduction and go into hiding and perhaps boomerang an angel or two on the way out.

Tylor takes Lloyd’s place as the idealistic protagonist, with the interesting variant of being an adult, being a responsible adult, and representing the church’s lowest members. He doubles as a reasonable authority figure, considering the world though is ran by a covert fanatical church dogma well.. he’s one of the few.

In exchange Yashin is the cynic (due to Yuan’s rearing) who hopes for the best but never expects it to pass, Kratos’ killing of his best friend from the Renegades causes a lot of his bitterness and angst.

Tylor takes over as team mom, Rain serving as team dad, Tylor indiscriminately parents his flock regardless of age and goes out of his way to pamper and meet everyones needs to the point _Colette_ collars him and tells him not to court burn out more than once.

Per TOS canon, the main casts pasts are very similar to the games allusions.

Tylor an OC was a priest from Palma Costa sent to Iselia to be straightened out. He's been flirting with a defrocking for over ten years now and the only reason he holds to his lowly place in the church is mainly religious apathy and that Phadria has not gone out of her way to report the man and his borderline sacrilege.

  
  
Tentative map/plot outline  
  
Triet is visited, prisoner exchange occurs. Yashin goes with the Desians (lead by Yuan) and returns to the ranch.

Note: Unsure if Yuans going to be incredibly hostile towards Kratos, waffling between over protective and icy to preserve cover, he may simply attack Kratos then negotiate with Chosen's group while ignoring Kratos after he's injured. Kratos is going to be subdued/confused during muchof the process therefore placid, still desciding.

  
Once home Yashin’s restless and encounters Colette. The first is by accident, a walk after duty hours, the second and third are planned between them. At first it’s just talk, but then Yuan gives his son his blessings to go with them if he wants when catching him out by time three. Yashin asks why. Yuan doesn’t answer, but warns if he does go he may be tasked with killing the Chosen at any time, these orders cannot be defied, especially if she begins the Regeneration.

Colette’s actions in Triet are documented in a story tell state, as she tells Yashin her adventures of the day (mainly helping peoples) when she suggests trying to get the peoples of Triet to work with the Desians in the ranch to make the bandits stop attacking people (she’s already tried asking the bandits, Raine and Tylor nearly killed themselves getting her out) Yashin spirits her into the Ranch where they talk to Yuan. Yuan gives them fair hearing and states that if she can agree to get the leader of Triet to meet him covertly and with no guards he will consider.

When Colette tells Yashin that the tribal leader of Triet said yes Yashin reports to his father with success, then asks “what next?”

To that Yuan replies “I don’t know, nothing like this had happened before”

In Triet, Kratos initially tried to attach himself to the group. First by stating he had Phadria agreed to have him seek the Chosen out, he uses the sorcerer’s ring as proof. Behind his back Tylor writes Phadria, where he learns that the man was not given permission to accompany them. He shares this with Raine and both adults pull him aside and tell him to leave. Tylor takes the ring as “church property” and Raine threatens him (he’s been hostile to both Colette and Genis, trying to overtly shame the girl into starting the regeneration) if he doesn’t leave. On leaving Kratos stumbles upon Chosen and Desian breaking up a meeting between the two, Yashin, who’s unarmed, attacks Kratos with the HopSkip board and bolts for it. The ruckus draws Tylor and Rine and Genis. Colette stops them from following, asserting her authority as Chosen to bring them up short.

When the group return to Triet they encounter Yuan leaving it with guards. Kratos is very hostile towards Yuan, Yuan indifferent, though becomes amused when he sees the game pieces on Kratos’ cloak.

Tylor demands to know what Yuan is up to, Yuan’s reply of negotiating causes Kratos to speak up, stating he’s stepping beyond his bounds.

“Then I will be punished, won’t I.” So saying Yuan leaves, tossing over his shoulder “If my son has come to harm at your hands we shall talk.”

The group (Raine, Tylor, Colette, Genis) leave Triet shortly after. The peoples in power are a bit in shock but report that they’re having peaceful negotiations and Colette has helped everyone she can before moving forward.

(The EarthWorm quest has been taken up by the Renegards in the area.)

Upon Ossa trail the group is approached by Yashin, who obviously is nervous and out in the open, with a pack, but he’s also bouncy, nervous but eager. When approached he explains that he’s been assigned escort to Colette, if they’ll have him. When Raine points out the problems of traveling with a Desian he wheels out a string of offers, first for sanctuary for the Sages and Tylor is need be in Tiret, then goes on to elaborate that his father holds influence in the other towns, and that if a real emergency comes up he could get them into hiding from all the ranch masters. He also stresses that if they stay with him he (a registered Desian) would use his status to protect them from the other cardinals so long as they didn’t go to a ranch. Thus offering them a peaceful way to travel through Sylvarant.

His offers to the Sage and Tylor are obscenely generous, and when questioned explains that his father understands he owes them his life and he pays back his debts. They agree, in Ossa the group encountered Kratos, who approaches Tylor and asks to accompany them as a penance, Noishe is with them, and is eager to sniff out the group. He’s very eager to get close to Yashin.

Tentative Triet scene ideas:  
  
Yashin plays hop skip with Colette, he’s pretty sure Dad knows what is going on, because many games and loses later his ears are filled with the tick of a metronome.

The breaks, via a glove hand (of that he’s sure) give instruction. Thus he plays anothers game. The conversation is all theirs though.

She has a list, bound by threads of palest pink, page upon page of names of people and things they’d like done. The comments ranges from mending a leaky pot to the restoration of the world.

To his “why” her response was earnest and so her.

“Martel’s sick.”

Listening to ticking he moves his left most piece two squares.

“What that have to do with anything?’

“You don’t ask sick people to do so much. “ Came the huffed response. She waves the log (prayers really, because in all the requests are uttered without hope, and isn’t that what prayers are all about) It’s long and thick and her tiny mouse writing doesn’t help make it any shorter.

  
Knowing the curiosity on the other side he had to say (before he starts reading it aloud) the truth.

His truth.

  
“You give this many tasks and I’ll mutiny.”

“I think your father’d miss you a lot if you did.”

The first few pages he recites come out a bit shaken. The silence on his ears is deafening.

Looking at the pieces of tries to divine his father’s intent from his strategy.

Colette beats him while he tied to figure it out.

XXX

  
She asks for maps he doesn’t have, she asks for storied he can’t really tell. So she fills in all his blanks with her words. Taking of prayers and rituals, and cobbling tales to rhyme. Setting it all to music.

He starts to recognize them in the tunes she hums while waiting, and coming, and going. He asks her, as they set up their board, it she knows that the angels would still her voice (her very heart this truth is writ in the silences)

She tips her head, blue eyes bright, and asks him how he knows. 

“We read the scriptures too, you know.”

To that hope that alights her eyes he drops his smile met her gaze… the dark of their grotto surely dancing in his regard.

“It’s the horror story we tell our children. It’s the assurance we give ourselves. Better to live as a villain than to die.. like that.”

They play without word, the tick and pulse in the back of his head more assuring, more steady, than the one from his heart. Sometimes he listens, sometimes he doesn’t, it's their longest game yet.  
  
XXX  
  
A few days he works in his lab. Menial tasks Cleanup and fetch. Some alteration of hi was approved by his seniors, tested, and held true. He honestly can’t recall what it was for.

  
Still when they congratulate him he sorta recalls what it was. Lets their warmth and prompts carry him through, mirroring their elation because anything else would worry them

When he goes to bed his private quarters have been entered. The vibrant feather upon his desk and the report far above his clearance level tells him who it was.

Really Dad could just leave a note, not that he’d ever bother with something mundane like that.

Smiling, real smiling hurts.

Still he’s doing it.  
  


XXXX

  
  
Izoold is much the same as Triet, save Yashin and Kratos are dragooned into helping peoples. They eventually do go to the mines behind the town due to rumors of a party of people going missing there. It’s an old Desian mining facility for semiprecious minerals, he explains that they use them in parts of their technology, and that it was abandoned due to it’s haunted. They encounter the skeleton on the way out.

  
The group initially ties to leave Izoold by road way. Yashin protest and then explains that his escort stops in Kvar’s area (orders) and an encounter with Kvar’s capture force the whole group to seek shelter in Izoold. There Yashin reports to Yuan via his helmet that Kvar’s expanding his territory, he also reports the cleaning out of the mine.

Yuans’ responses are unknown.  
  
Skit idea for Izoold.  
  
Yashin’s scars arch

  
Osa trail

Backpacks: entering

Kratos: Peculiar…

Tylor: If this is another stab about the bells, Mr. Aurion-

Kratos: Those are beyond peculiar… I was referring to our most recent additions’ packs. See how they’re held askew?

Tylor: It does keep pressure off of the right side, doesn't it?

Kratos: Indeed

Backpacks part 2: leaving first time

Yashin: Ms. Sage… could I ah… talk to you, about something privately?

Raine: Yes, what is it?

Yashin: Your… well you’re a healer, right?

Raine: I have some talents as such, yes, though my profession is as an academic.. a Professor.

Yashin: Herbology or archanist healing?

Raine: Both, why?

Yashin: I’ve got some old scar tissue and long story short.. I’ve got a salve I use but it’s running low. If I give you some could you make more?

Riane” Possibly

Yashin: I can’t pay you… I men not much, I’ve got some of last months striped on me but it’s-

RAine: That won’t be necessary dear.

Yashin: Smiling. Thanks Professor Sage

Riane: You’re welcome.

Backpacks part 3: Right after skeleton battle

Kratos: Enough, stand down.

Tylor: he’s right kiddo that wince if nothing else…

Yashin: I’m fine

Tylor: Martel grant me patience, Raine we need some help here.

Rane: Approaching. I told you this was a bad idea

Tylor: Agreed. Kiddo I’m not asking this time. Uniform off. Raine can’t fix what she can’t see

Yashin: What… I… she’s a girl! I can’t!

Kratos: If you don’t receive treatment you'll slow us down

Yashin: (darkly) Wouldn’t want that.

Tylor: Gentlemen,… Yashin, we can do this nice, or nasty. Nice consists of you just doing what I say, nasty leaves you waking up with a headache and us helping you off the ground in an hour or so.

Yashin: Seriously… Ach, alright, don’t sword me, or staff me, and I swear not the ‘rang. I’ll do it! Just… it looks worse than it is alright?

Backpack part 5

Yashin: Raine, seriously, you can’t fix this.

Raine: But what caused…

Yashin: It was a disease. I… It festered and it spread and they had to cut out a lot of muscles and stuff so I wouldn’t die.

Raine; What happened?

Yashin: What happened to me isn’t contagious, so Genis and Colette and Ty are fine.

Raine: That’s not what I asked.

Yashin: I know… But I don’t want to talk about

Background: Yashin was actually kidnapped by Kvars capturers and experimented on before Yuan could extract him from the ranch. Yashin was infected with the Exodia illness and the infection was actually the exosphere disease being extracted. Because of the injury he can’t wield a shield, or a sword with is hand (one arm weaker than the other, chronic) and is permanently banned from the militant side of the ranch. Hence his civilian status. He also can not ever equip an exosphere, as this could re trigger the illness and kill him.  
  
  
**Plot points, list continued:**

  
  
They take the boats to Palmacosta

Checklist for Palma costa

Magnius introduced,

Church explored, academic test, Magnius invades Palma costa, after math of battle.

Tylor's frictions with superiors shown.

Yashin’s ability to negotiate with Desians reveled(beginning, gets group past check point with no issues).

Renegades assist in the battle (last segment) and start a half elf human treaty against Magnius’ army as “both have interests in keeping Palma Costa standing) Botta is re-encountered. They talk to Botta, Yashin is respectful and Botta notes that it’s such a waste he serves his present master, though the words are harsh they are both friendly. Yashin explains that Botta's from a different ranch… Botta corrects explaining that they are a faction dissatisfied with the world order and are trying to change it so that half elf and human’s can live in unity.

Colette tries to get out of Botta why and he bluntly states that the Renegades, like the desians, have massive frictions with the cruxian faith.

Botta: “We’ve issues with a faith that demands we kill our children to see things done”

He leaves, Kratos rounds on Yashin, demanding to know why he helped Botta out in Iselia.

“I had problems, with you killing people. I couldn’t save my people, but I could at least try to save theirs.”

Yashin/Katos frictions that had been covert (Tylor had been coldly polite to both, stepping in to stop fights but unwilling to explain the why of it -he has a very censored version of Krato's past to work with as part of Kratos' penance/confessions.) He is unwilling to explain why to Collete and Genis, this causes issues as both children had warmed to Kratos a little, as had Raine. When conflict between Yashin and Kratos comes out in the open its an ugly fight with most of cast taking sides  
  



	3. Some key differences between SHARDS and UNKINDNESS and CANON

There were many issues I wanted to tackle in "Unkindness" that I couldn't tackle in Shards or even seen addressed in canon.

  
One was the placidity of the group towards the process of the regeneration. When you know that it kills a child and keep going anyways, it's something I wish the original cast had talked more about in canon. 

Also the idea that setting a bag over the main characters heads and having them walk forward... The first time it occurred and caused catastrophic ex: the tower of salvation first visit... alright, understandable, there was this charade going on. By the time the mana tree germinated out of control had happened it was an effort not to head desk because really, seriously, someone with 4000 years experience could have worked out that things weren't going to go to plan. Not when there'd been so much foreshadowing in the form of natural catastrophe occurring... and immediately after, seriously, Mithos, Kratos, and Yuan failed in getting a clue and unhinging the efforts of Lloyd's party, there were just too many opportunities and openings.

  
So upping the competency of the cast, villainous side, was the first step, or rather acknowledging and keeping them at the same level that they started at. After all they'd run two worlds for 4000 plus years, established a complicated multi tier facade by erasing the world order that existed before and rewrote all of history to suit their needs.

That couldn't have been cake walk and one wild card rattling around shouldn't have done so much damage.

  
Also, the idea that Lloyd was the first dissenter, Yuan sorta fills in the role but besides two bases you don't get to see what he did or what impact he had. I can't imagine that he's the only one to make progress on that front either.

  
To remedy the Yuan slant I made it Renegade centric so I could show how I thought he'd do so, and I borrowed heavily from "Defiance" (which I'll summarize elsewhere) which established how he got started and how he came to do what he did.

  
Also, in previous works I made Yggdrasil waffle between ruthlessness in adult form and more pseudo (though psychopathic) child protagonist, he flips between modes and while it made him creepy its to show his unhinged thought process and decision making, it doesn't defang him per say but it limits him in some senses to serious degrees. He never grew up, never changed, and his static nature despite his erratic moods has given him blind spots.

Kratos manipulated them in certain times in canon and in my head canon both Kratos and Yuan milk if for all they're worth because dear Gods the man has the Eternal Blade and can stitch and unstich _reality_ apart by waving it around.

  
Also encapsulating what Yggdrassil can and can't do, putting a limit and cap so that it doesn't flux between plots needs and whim was difficult. In canon he sounds all powerful, and yet beyond setting up the... well setting... he doesn't do much in cut scene or otherwise to flaunt it.

  
Another thing I wanted to explore (that I couldn't per the cast being very distant from it in canon and Shards) was the power structures and governments in action. By changing the character cast a bit (establishing Tylor as a priest and Yashin as a desian) I gave a window into the view into both institutions and their power plays therefore raising the main casts awareness and impact in those situations. Colette isn't a satellite character with her own pull due to outside influences of the angels, she's no pawn to be shuffled about, she's invested in the church because her mentor and grandmother are within it and she's made aware of it's failings per Tylor who is unbelievably candid (as a man one inch from losing his lively hood might become in desperation). 

  
The half elves plight in ranches and without aren't just a toss away to make someone hesitate about fighting humanoid NPCS, through Yashin and Yuan (or per Tylor the Voice) the desians are people with concerns and ambitions that they can't express due to the church stiffing half elf presence in Sylvarant. It's a sucky institute that's alluring and drawing innocents in and their families because it's the only option on the table for most of them.

  
The world's changed precious little since the Kharlan War, not enough to show for all the time and suffering Cruxis has laid on it and it's people. And with Colette being a bit more head strong and direct than canon it's something that when she realizes the scope of she will not take lying down, it's after all her heaven granted duty to regenerate the world, to influence it in a positive direction, and it's not just for the church she's going to act. In this she becomes Mithos Yggdrasil's foil (where Lloyd was in canon) and in that it changes things even more.

  
By having most of the main cast be civilians and non combatants the whole, "make a decision, chew through the enemy armies, forces, spies, ecetera" (the main mechanic of plot progression in TOS) is totally off the table.

  
Tylor's a priest, and while he's shaky on his vows his weapon of choice is his words first, his boomerang second, (and third, just for Kratos' head, a shovel), he's not going to be pulling any Lloyd like stunts.

  
The Sages; Genis is a child magi just learning his craft and Raine is an academic and healer first and fore most.

Colette uses chakrams, a similar method trained from Tylors use of a 'rang, and is skilled at running away from combat, she's the f_ocus _of a pacifist order, she's not supposed to fight and will try to innocent her way out of trouble or good will it away.

Yashin is an engineer with a flair for Magi tec, he's enlisted as a civilian for personality reasons and the fact he is disabled and can't keep pace with the combat hardened desians at his ranch. He can physically build things and fix things and handle heavy labor for very short periods of time but with his injuries he is on permanent light duty and only carries a weapon to intimidate. He can't fight beyond shooting a special magi tech bow meant to be very light and it does minimal damage.

  
Kratos, if he joins, is the only person on the team with any combat experience and inclination. And he has managed to first shoot himself in both feet then shovel them in his mouth, first by his actions in the half elven community after his wife's death (thus alienating the Sages) his assault on a desian minor in front of half the population of Iselia (alienating Tylor, and to some degree Phadria, Colette's grandmother), and in attacking Yashin (the desian minor) and his civilian scientific research team (who didn't even fight back, they booked it as soon as they recognized the man and he_ still_ killed a few of them) he's managed to get the ire of the Desian Cardinal of Triet (Yuan) pinged himself on Forcystus' radar since Yashin's state got back to that Cardinal, and when Yashin realized that he was the only person able to warn the Renegade hit team infiltrating Iselia he broke protocol between Desian and Renegade and in doing so turned the Tethe'allan Renegades against Kratos as well.

  
All before chapter one was totally up, Kratos managed to make enemies with nearly every faction of Sylvarant in one afternoon, if there was an affection point system he'd be in the negatives.

And considering the adults are very responsible in this story they're going to be pulling Colette and giving her a firm heads up about Kratos before he can try to twist her into doing the regeneration with guilt and get his free pass into the ranches and Kvar, which is his only motive at this stories beginning for joining the regeneration.

  
Getting him to have a reason to escort the chosen openly is going to be extremely difficult for him to pull off but if he doesn't Yggdrasil is becoming less and less merciful and won't be willing to tolerate one failure on this regeneration, because it's start was a disaster and with how precarious everything is he can't fail he could lose Sylvarant..

  
Which is a whole other essay in itself.


	4. Checks, balances, cruxius history and the Ranches present, SPOILERS FOR UNKINDNESS

While wielding the eternal Yggdrasil can do just about anything. Yet to wield the eternal he needs Kratos present and nominally Kratos' permission to do what he wants. Over the millennia Mithos has through psychological manipulation and cruelty worn Kratos down to the point that defying doesn't even cross his mind, giving Mithos kart blanch to do what he wants. Also, a serious attempt to thwart Mithos from wielding the Eternal Blade would break the pact, therefore ending Kratos' life, and while passively suicidal the Seraph is not fully so therefore if he were to think of defying has not taken action to do so. Kratos status as Seal was an attempt by Origin to be a check to the ultimate power being the seal in short is being the life force that keeps the Eternal physical. If Kratos were to die the blade would revert back to the either until Origin granted it to another,and another pact demanding and tying it to the life force to the blade. In theory Origin can deny any request made by the blade's wielder, but as Kratos is Origin's favored mortal refusing to do what is demanded of him via the blade would break the pact on his side and end Kratos' life.

It's both Origins attachments and Kratos' docility that have lead to Mithos continuing to have access to such obscene amounts of power.

Through trial and error Mithos has found that the Blade can allow him to manipulate matter and space, hence the splitting and warping of the worlds. Though Origin does have some jurisdiction over time (that's another blade altogether) and can allow time travel to certain extent he has not granted Mithos that power and as it was not stated in the original pact it's not something Mithos can suddenly request, and if he were to try he would have to redo his pact with Origin to request the changes of power.

Considering his actions towards Origin's favored human and his defying the terms of his pact "To use this power for the betterment of all peoples of the world" its basically nonexistent that Origin would give him time of day, even if Mithos were to somehow drag Sheena to the seal and use her as a puppet Origin would simply refuse to appear.

  
Speaking of puppets, why haven't Yuan and Kratos just given each other a long look while Mithos is ranting about his next step in lifeless beings and just stab him in he back? They were both men of influence and free will, and to an extent that was damaged seriously when Martel died. Both were robbed of certian capacities by grief, but it wasn't the 4 millennia slog back to coherence and morals. For Yuan it lasted a few hundred years, but for Kratos it took _months_ for him to realize things were getting wildly out of control. The answer of what held them back initially was shock. Mithos slipped behind their backs and did everything he could to make himself lifeless (this also did massive damages to the boy's sanity) and both men missed it because of the state they were in. Mithos then inflicted a much nastier version of the angelic transformation on his two friends, and that derailed their very sanities for _decades_. This gave Mithos time to start moving pieces on the board. When the two generals of the Kharlan war clawed back to functionality Mithos' tools were initially simple manipulation and guilt tripping. Mithos had his claws deep in both his friends, twisting them to his tune and lying a great deal, masking everything in terms of idealism and for the betterment of all, perhaps even buying his own falsehoods to an extent.

When the ranches were put into effect Yuan underestimated them, their impact, and is barely functioning to the point he couldn't leave Derris Kharlan.

Kratos, who sees them first hand and through the regeneration process' that he distantly oversees is infuriated, and after trying to shake some sense into Yuan fails he tries to slip his leash and take stock of the situation, to find some flaw, weakness, _any_ exploit to get out.

It's unfortunately about the time that Mithos realizes that his pacts have effected his mana, while he can summon the spirits in battle (similar to Sheena's capabilities) because he is a half elf it gave him the ability to manipulate the mana of each spirit he made a pact with.

Per Kharlanic propaganda and the game he's bound to all of them.

Yuan and Kratos' transformation happened due to Luna's influence on their exspheres, and since they are partially composed of that mana it gives him the ability -so long as he can physically see them and concentrate- to physically control them. He's done so several times to Kratos and a few times to Yuan over the millennia when they get angry at him and lash out, he's also as the centuries have passed, used this to physically torture them (ex: Unkindness questions and answers chapter one) and attempted to break them (Defiance: chapter 8). It's had the effect of making Kratos give up hope and driven Yuan to going very underground with his rebellion. While Kratos became a jaded world weary death seeker, Yuan put up a front of servile (if snarky) spineless toady who set himself up to play a very long game that he's sure to lose but damned if he doesn't try anyway. 

Where in canon Kratos started to buck the controls Mithos set up over him (see DES and Shards) due to his love of Anna and his child Lloyd their deaths drew him right back into the mad child's clutches. Yuan's inspiration, an adopted child (an OC) who was meant to be Chosen but was set to be executed for political reasons, had been dead for a very long time (ironically brought to yggdrasil' attention by Kratos then killed by the leader of Cruxis when she refused to be Martel's vessel) and while he utterly sympathized with Kratos' grief he cut off his last ties with Kratos when the man simply stopped caring for anything and anyone.

While in canon Kratos does snap out of it when discovering Lloyd was alive... in "Unkindness" there literally /_is_/ no Lloyd to draw him back from that brink. He's sunk further in his quagmire of despair, hunting Desians in his time before the regeneration's and has gotten a vile reputation among st the half elven communities because he is very indiscriminate in who he kills. If they _might_ be Desian he kills them, as such many half elves, particularly around Luin, refer to him as the angel of death aka _Derris Fa Sith_, it's to the point that the Cardinals (who canonically couldn't get together to make a cup of ramen soup without backstabbing) have a treaty in place that if he's about they pull all their resources into their fortress (where Mithos and his controls laid down over him have banned him to go, which is the only reason Kvar's alive at this point) and wait him out, the other unaffected Ranches are responsible for shipping supplies from their territories to make sure no one starves.

Because of this Yuan and Forcystus have a rather friendly relationship, Magnius tolerates the other Cardinals, and everyone waits for Kratos to park in front of Luin so they can "accidentally" not send supplies to Kvar and let nature field that problem.


	5. END STORY SPOILERS FOR UNKINDNESS

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This details a rough draft version of the Tower of Mana/Light Seal Scene from Unkindness, this is the planned last segment of my outline for Unkind, the original notes got destroyed so I'm pulling this from memory before I forget, very rough material and also shows a little of how I toss battle scenes together.
> 
> Everyone and I mean everyone loses their minds, civility, in this chapter, OOC is very justified in this section considering the circumstances that are outlined within. Waffles between script, descriptive, list, and not meant to be considered the final draft of anything.
> 
> Warnings applicable for this section   
PROFANITY  
SACRILEGE  
GORE  
NEAR END ORIGINAL GAME SPOILERS

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This details a rough draft version of the Tower of Mana/Light Seal Scene from Unkindness, this is the planned last segment of my outline for Unkind, the original notes got destroyed so I'm pulling this from memory before I forget, very rough material and also shows how I toss battle scenes together.
> 
> CHECK SUMMERY FOR FULLER DETAILS AND Warnings

Per the regeneration being derailed Yggdrasil slams his foot down post Hima. He sets up a miracle at the tower light at Luin to get Colette's attention and manipulates the church into forcing the group into doing the regeneration. At this point Yashin leaves per Yuan's orders, things have gotten too insane, he's to await pick up at Hima via Rhierd and not to escort for _any_ reason. Refusing to do so will lead to disbarrment and exile and considering the regeneration's is in full swing at this point it will lead to his execution as he's a desian sympathizer, known as one, and can't exist as a civilian outside the order per the scene at Palma Costa where he's exposed as such when he followed Yuan's orders openly in front of the high priest of palma costa.  
  
The group of Colette, Raine, Genis, Tylor and Kratos are force marched from Luin to the tower, at which point the church sets up guards on the lower levels to keep them from getting out without completing the ritual. Yggdrasil's had it, he's going to do the full thing one swoop never mind it will guarantee kill Colette and violate the tenants of the faith he's set up. He wants Sylvarant's pet dissenter killed, if he gets a vessel good, if not he'll control the next regeneration's Chosen better after making sure Sylvarant suffers

.

When they ascend Yggdrasil, not Remeal, is waiting, and he's about ready to burn the crest into Colette's throat and begin the process in front of the horrified group, Tylor and Colette try to reason, which fails spectacularly, Tylor's offer of himself instead is mockingly denied. Yggdrasil makes a "inferior beings" line and that tips Tylor to what he's dealing with. When Colette says no (shes' openly terrified) and Yggdrasil tries force Tylor suicidal attacks. Manages to make a hit, but considering it's a normal weapon and he's without enhancement its' about as effective as hitting a mountain with a pebble. Still Yggdrasil is shocked, one of his priests (Tylor's not quit wearing his priestly habit yet) just openly attacked him. He assured them that Palma Costa will burn for their sins, flaunting omnipotence, at which point Raine tries to get Colette and Genis and run. (Rejection spell is slowing her down, altering space and distance and slowing her down and she dare not call out to get them to turn from her and away from the light show Yggdrasil's showing. She'd intent on grabbing and running down the tower and that's as far as her plans gone) Tylor's calling Yggdrasil out, spitting scripture and twisting it to point out the utter hypocrite he is and utterly losing it (he's been wrestling with this for years and he's got the man responsible for most of his issues in one spot, it's going to be profane and bellowed, alternating between sarcastic and furious and outrageous. He's going to be slamming on any issue that he thinks will make a mark and moving about so when Yggdrasil tries to wave him off and vaporize him with an absent spell he's not going to be easy to hit and he's not going to be shutting up. He's luring Yggdrasil to turn his back on Colette and the Sages, he's known it'd come to this and he's made this his plan.), he knows he's good as dead but each second the attentions on him the more time he's buying.

RD dialogue: (italics to be translated into angelic)

"_Let not blade nor wraith drive you, for in my perfection neither shall be_." Dodges Yggdrasil's first attack. "You're a fucking hypocrite you oversized peacock, what the hell was that? A_bide my light willingly, and I shall succor and protect you_. That's your idea of protection? That Pagan alters been there millennia and you just destroyed it! Adhere not the benighted, for they are but demons, to be turned by my light, what, are you going to turn them to dust? They aren't fucking demons, they're half elves that _you_ screwed over. That you _let_ get screwed over! And I bet if I chopped off those damed locks you'd have ears as pointy as theirs! You're no fucking different from Kvar, you genocidal ass, and fucking Martel herself would turn her back on you in a heartbeat if she could. But no, you prey on the fucking dying, a dying goddess, because you're so damn pathetic..."

At this point there's nothing to dodge behind and no room to run. The grounds molten when Yggdrasil's pointed his light attacks and Tylor's trapped. He throws one of last 'rangs, Yggrasil catches it and implodes it.

"_I'm going to enjoy killing you_."

Clenches fists, bares teeth, gasping but quiet. Stands tall. "I'm to Ascend and you, my son, you're going someplace a lot colder than here when your Called day comes."

(Martelian hell is described as arctic cold, dark, and filled with terrors)

Unsheathes last 'rang, set to throw, Yggdrasil's arms crackling with power. Magi tech engine falls from sky, black arrow hits stone in front of it. Fire explosion that spawns from it changes from red to black with purple ribbons seconds later. This effect is due to arcane contamination of or a combo attack where the dark element overrides the fire. 

A rhiard(sp) crashes into the ground, sweeping a rising figure off its feet with a wing, scrambling from wreckage, shaking and battered, Yashin it throwing little bits of blue quarts, putting out surreal fires.

"He's not dead, " Yashin's shaking "don't stop running."

Tylor half drags half carries Yashin, they hit the stairs and nearly fall down them retreating. They find Raine a few turns down healing herself from Rejection spells effects. hiding behind Kratos' legs (shaking shaken) is Genis. Kratos is trying might and main to keep Colette from going up. Kratos had opted to stay on lover level, did not want to see ritual of angels, pagan/religious argument that no one had questioned.

Kratos: What the hell is going on up there?"

Tylor: The fucking angels are frauds I just 'ranged the Lord of Heaven

Yashin: He'd going to kill Colette, stop the mana flow to Sylvarant indefinitely and leave this bloody world for dead. It was on Dad's fucking desk, Dad's at Kharlan trying to make a work around, every desian is on a one way path to evacuating Sylvarant!

Kratos: What!

Dust rains down, then light seeps from lines of sealing. Regeneration group runs down spiral stair case, ceiling starts to fall in in chunks. Genis is using spell works to push back dust so they can see (when it's at its' worse it's like no light at all) Judgment beams scream in stair hollow, start to vaporize stairs and walls higher up. Shadows cut over the light, dragon riders, dragon screams, Renegades of Tethealla are attacking. Botta leading. Group gets to near the bottom level to find priests fighting renegades.

Yashin: Down's bad!

Tylor: Well ups not any better, it's got death sparkles!

Raine shoves group into side library room, slams door as arrows smack into the thick oak.

Yashin: I'll hale the Renegades, they might be able to get us out of here. (tries window fails, Raine shoves him aside and smashes it open Kratos and Tylor are watching door) Dragons swing near, Yashin hollering in Angelic in his helm, giving ordinates. When Renegades free up a few riders Yashin tosses Genis to a rider, Tylor and Yashin get Colette over and Raine. Explosion by door makes room shiver, dragons pull back. Yggdrasil slams into ground level, thrown down by a dragon dying on top of him. He crawls out from under the body, uniform a red gory ruin. Snaps renegade rider's neck, looks up to find Kratos Tylor and Yashin looking down.

Yashin: oh hell... (whimpered)

Yggdrasil sweeps up to them, draw Eternal, Kratos throws Tylor and Yashin out of way, away from room his block snaps his steel sword. Kratos thrown back, Tylor throws last 'rang, candler crashes down on Yggdrasil who doesn't even acknowledge the hit besides to shrug it off.

  
"Traitors the lot of you..." Feline eyes thin, cruelty lights them. "_Sith_, kill..."

Yashin opens fire, cutting Yggdrasil off before command kicks in. Earth quarrel/gravity effect drags Yggdrasil down to ground floor. The second his feet hit it wears off. He claws to near tower top (an opened top), violet mist, the Eternal, reforming about his hands. Yashin sets last dark arrow and pushes past Kratos and Tylor (barking at Kratros to get Tylor out, now) racing down stairs.

  
Towards Yggdrasil. "Gunna spell cast me huh? That's how this ends?" Hits ground level, scrambles towards the dead Renegade dragon carrion, sets bow to up. "_I didn't expect anything else from a half breed sister fucker like yourself_"

  
All light dies, Yggdrasil's aura, his wings, even the sun outside seems to follow suit.

"Not man enough to take on a human in combat, or just trying to do this quick so you can go back to derris kharlan an screw that dead girl tied to a tree?'

The whole world seems weightless, breathless, the only light is Eternal, ice hands closed over it's hilt dim even that. Yggdrasil plunges down, trailing fire and shadow. Last second Yashin shoots, getting Yggdrasil in the throat (missed cruxis crystal, focused on red, gets distracted by gold) Eternal sweeps down, dissolving as it descends. 

Sight, sound, the world rushes back in. Yggdrasil staggers back, black coils then breaks down about throat, trailing down arm, winding down lower, smoke seeps from bloodless wound. Yggdrasil puts hand to throat, other spasms dropping Eternal, that mists as it hits ground, dissolving in full before impact.

  
Screaming, wordless, near breathless, Yggdrasil collapses to his knees, light flickers about room, Yashin scrambles up stairs, Kratos in doorway, leaning on frame, blue light, seal breaking down, Tylor barely able to hold him up. Yashin grabs one arm, Tylor the other, they haul him to the broken window. Screaming for Raine, Raine forces her rider to turn back to Yashin's howl, she catches and hauls Kratos up, who is a tangle of human limbs and wings. Tylor leaps behind him, Genis swings around to get him. Yashin hesitates, looks back, then up, waves off rider and roof collapses in.

  
(Yasin is almost instantly teleported to Triet, his runes kick in and take part of the ruins with him. It's part digging him out part treating burns as the rubble that hits him is smoldering from Ygg spell work.) (Note: mention this after the Raine healing scene bellow? Consider pacing of finished text then decide.)

  
Raine catches Kratos with her dragon, begins transfer even as the Renegades bring them down. Renegade escort goes back up into fighting, an army of angels from Welgia is in the fray and they are killing everything alive they can get in their sights. Tylor grabs her, orders her to draw from him to transfer some of his mana int the man (life force, will have to find out how comparable and make work in?) Genis joins Raine in casting, and Colette takes Genis' hands, singing prayers that seem to sharpen light of mana transfer. Kratos' wings once dimming flare to normal level of illumination and Regen group crashes. Tower _dissolves_, escapee Desians, Renegades, and Church personnel, are making a mad house of Luin's countryside as they fall on each other and in throes of varying hysterics kill one another. The Renegades get to the Regen group first and teleport group to Triet.  
  
Awake in medical, various stats of screwed up. Yashin talking while medic changing bandages, reporting what he did, gasping in pain burns everywhere on back. Ruins were , smoldering when landed on him. Yuan looking over Kratos' wings, rough, stretching, bending, studying feathers.

  
"Besides an upcoming molt due to stress your mana drain which should have killed you but nearly killed the rest of your party, you'll be fine...Enjoy your wife's cruxis crystal I guess, we had to do a transplant while you were out... he meant you to die after killing them all I think..." Seeing Raine awake notes snidely. "If you paid him for protection I'd demand my money back." To Yashin, "And you, boy, are grounded."

"i just freaking killed the most evil thing in the cosmos." Heated.

"And I won't reward your suicide run tactics _regardless_ of the results. Be glad I'm not executing you for high treason!"

"Yggdrasil's dead for God's sake-"

"His pacts with Aska and Luna are still holding." Hits Kratos' wings to emphasis point, causing man to moan in agony. "He's still alive-"

  
"I got him in the throat, his neck was dissolving! Kratos broke the pact with Origin, his immortality tickets fucking expired."

  
"You got him _before_ the seal broke, the remnant of the Pact, his cruxis crystal, and the fact he doesn't know how to fucking die is all that's sustaining him. Not to mention the _other_ pacts he made. Origin was the _last_ and you know it! What. were. you. _thinking_!"

  
"That the guy who can't hold a jug of water in his arm for ten minuets without his limbs crapping out on him might be too crippled up to do anything else _except_ a suicide attack. That Yggdrasil would focus on the _human_ who trash talked his sister first and hardest and that'd let the more competent people who can do things get out alive." Softer. "I can't wield Eternal, and I can't win a pact."

  
Yuan, softly, "You were never meant too. That was for others to do."

Yashin: "Well you can't while Luna's got you by the throat and I'm not asking you to get rid of Rene's crystal. I'd never ask that..."

Tylor: I've got a hell of a lot to ask.

  
Colette: (to Kratos) Derris Fa Sith?

Raine: What in Martel's name is going on and why does he," Snarls at Kratos "look like the scriptures version of death?"

Kratos: ... (grimaces) Why in Origins name weren't we put in separate rooms than the Sylvaranti while they recovered?


	6. 50 families SPOILERS FOR OSSA IDEAS

Set when leaving Triet,  
  
50 families  
  
It stared with a shot, and ended in a confrontation

  
"You need to know who you are standing in front of defending before it gets you killed, Father." Though he shook slightly Yashin kept his bow leveled. "Kratos Aurion, AKA D_erris fa Sith_ is a fucking cause of death in every Ranch data base, alongside things like natural disaster and plauge. From my Dad's ranch alone," That summoned a snarl, from man or dog Tylor wasn't sure. The desian's features darkened, visible about his helm. "Alone, his death would avenge fifty families, not people, Father, _families_. There is no one who had not lost a brother, sister, mother, friend, or father in my ranch because of this _asshole_ who can't figure out when enough is enough."

  
The steely rustle of sword being drawn Tylor closed his eyes. The shakes were in the boy's arms, minor but a misfire could happen, still he stood between Mercenary and Desian. Knowing what hiss and wooden rattle meant.

  
More to motion heard he reached out, catching Merenary's wrist, stilling a charge of some sorts he was sure.

"I'm not the one who needs saving here, Son." Green eyes flicked open, meeting the mercenary's black. "Drop it."

  
"And all the knives.," Yashin spat.

"_Now_ Aurion." Tylor tightened his grip.

  
"He'll shoot, the second I'm unarmed and you're out of the way.."

  
"I thought your father had his Ranch under lock down?" Tylor drawled, still locking gaze wih Kratos though he spoke to the boy, not quite conversationally but close enough.

"One of the healers_ he_ killed has family in Izoold, someone's got to let them know thier grandson died."

  
"Alright." Sancrest breathed, eyes combing the mercenary's features for any reaction, the dark of the man's eyes seemed to fragment and flicker and nothing more was to be seen. Just stillness and placidity. "Then put the bow down and _do_ that."

  
"He'll kill me if I don't kill him first. It's _what he does_. But he'll kill me like Rem, he'll break my crest and I'll turn and kill everyone I love because that's what _he does_, that's how _he kills us_."

  
That summoned a response, palor and horror. A classic "_I didn't know_" and Sancrest tightened his grip for all he was worth. He wasn't military but he'd served in Palma Costa, been woken from drowsing by drills, watched be mused as his other man picked up sword and took places in lines and... And he'd read stature, prayed he'd picked up enough from he man's near tell nothing bearing, and summoned as close a fascimilie of a Sargent as he could. Martel, bless her, had given him a healthy pair of lungs.

  
"Drop the sword, solider, now!"

Sword clattered to stone, he kicked it aside, moved with the weapon, setting a boot on it's hilt. Shaking, he turned to face the Desain youngling.

  
"Will you kill an unarmed man? Revenge fifty families on a man who can't fight back?"

  
"Why are you defending him!" Yashin screamed, trembling in rage, fatigue cracked his voice to splinters.

"Because he asked for _penance_, child, absolution for his sins."

"You can' bring back the dead with those words father."

  
"No, but if you're alive you can help the living. Your knives Aurion, drop them or the offer cuts off and I walk away and let what happens happen."

  
Well, the man _laid_ the weapons down, close enough. Bloody silent smart ass though, this pilgrimage was looking worse by the second.

  
"The dead aren't good for anything." Tylor ground in. "Child, vengeance isn't good for anything, it just leaves you with more dead." Taking a breath Sancrest raked hand though his red hair. "_Penance_ it's just a pretty word and fifty is a tragedy when applied to familys _or_ peoples being dead. Either way.. I've one question, you answer it and I won't say a word when you shoot."

  
The mercenary looked at him, murderous, but still, and in all honesty he didn't matter, this was a matter of souls. He had two on the line and that weight wore at him, still he stood..

  
"When's enough enough, when you shoot one unarmed man, how about any man who stands against the Desians, where does this stop?"

  
The answering noise, pained, tortured, it took hellish effort not to cross the distance. He could easily pluck the weapon from the boy's hands, the grip looked that bad. Only the blade at his feet stilled him, the hilt digging into his heel, and the fact that Aruion's eyes flicked to him to blade back and forth like a starvingman would look at a meal.

  
"You're a better man then him," Tylor begged. "Don't follow him into his darkness, don't make his trial yours. Be as angry, as scared, as you need to be, but by the Goddess Martel, Yashin, don't take this path. It's not an answer, and you _know_ that.'

  
Bow clattered to earth, it shot into sod by said kid's feet. With a noise not unlike something breaking the boy sunk to his knees with a low keening and curled into himself.  
It was definitely discomfort on the mercenary's face in that moment, a subdued empathy maybe. Tylor didn't have time for figuring out the black clad man right now.

"Go back to camp."

  
Incredulous wasn't he look canted his way, there wasn't a word but it was in that ones family.

  
"He doesn't want me dead, remember? Just go back, I'll be along when I can." He snarled, stilling the stoop that occurred. "Leave your weapons young man, right were they are, you don't get those back until I say otherwise, unless you'd like to not go on _this_ regeneration? You're young enough and the angels certainly demand enough from their Chosen families, they're likely to be another in your lifetime, near it's end at the latest...."

With a wince the mercenary flinched into shadows, his beast of a dog going with. And good, hopefully he'd get lost on the way back.

  
Just _done_ with the man Tylor approached the Deisan boy. Scarred and unscarred hands clawed at the helmet he wore. He helped pull it off. The gasp, like a man no longer drowning, was his reward, that and a view of bloodshot eyes, tear streaked face, and nothing like composure to the whole. Shaking hands gripped his robe front, while hardly secure the boy held on, burrowed close. Reaching up on slow motions, he slung one arm about the boy's shoulders, when that got him no violence he reached about to smooth the boy's helmet haired head.

  
"Does anyone from your ranch know you're here?"

Back and forth the boy shook his head. "'S'a mess Dad was su... called... not here... and everyone else was losing their minds. We don't know what's going on, there might be a culling back home."

  
He mentally recalled street names for Palma Costa, to keep himself seeming calm. Menality, like prayers, was steady and plodding, sixth becomes green, becomes Rys, becomes Aldeen, from there Blade District, sun wise from the 'Blade was the Sheath of the Chapel, it's shields academia. There were twenty steps to Chapel and two to the pews...

  
"She had to know he was dead and everyone was so messed up because...' a sob. "They don't even notice I left, I didn't think _he_ would be here."

  
"Well, that's completely my fault kid, I fed him going back to Triet and I think I'm stuck with him."

  
The laughed sob was somewhat saner, with a sniffle the boy looked up, looked awful, but was somewhat back to the world just then.

Then, sounding horribly young,the bow whispered. "Ti's weird."

"Part of my charm." Tylor tried to deflect, because he was nearly done, really truely.

  
"No," A barked laugh. "I'm his kid, you know. No on at Base felt one hundred percent alright with the whole _comforting_ thing. And when I was young..." That nearly broke Tylor's heart because the boy was too damn young to be a man in Triet or iselia, but here he was making himself into one. "I'm not used to the warmth I guess... or the pulse... it's weird."

Recalling robes returned and their purloined chill Tylor shuddered. Tried to think of any needy youngling going to a block of ice... And no pulse, Goddess that sounded like something awful, beyond words.

"Bad weird?' Tylor hedged.

"No, different."

  
"Alright then." he held the boy a bit tighter, couldn't help himself.

  
"It's like I was drowning... I couldn't breathe..." The boy was shaking.

And in response Tylor shook him a bit back. Using the sensation to ground him. "You can now, right?"

"Yeah..."

Then, he could see bars, shadows born stripes, recalling his own drowning sans water, he grit his teeth. "You keep breathing, and slow, steady, between breathes you say things. Simple things. Hymns, prayers, street names, whatever. Short quick things, and you breathe between them."

  
The boy was wandering in his thoughts, looked more than a bit lost. Tylor near stuttered at the face of such confusion, so close he could feel it and the thrum of the boy's too fast heartbeat. "Streets," Tylor gasped. "Green becomes-" He slowed his own breathing to better guild the boys "Rhys. Rhys becomes-"

"Rene Veh Lavin," The boy gasped, near sobbed. "Clavik Arnolds." Another breath, another name it seemed. "Yashin Planith, Bryan Collins,"

  
Names he'd never heard of, save the third, the first part of it at least familiar. Peoples names, important, very important. Because he'd ask the boy and watch with a horror and wonder that Aurion would mirror, looking up form tending armor, just stopping as knowledge hit home. They were important names, names of founders, commanders, men and women who'd died. Fragments of a memorial wall. This one hadn't learned reading child's tales at his father's knee, but been held touching easy close, trialing fingers upon name after names, trained pronunciation to nominative, to honorifics. He'd learned to read from a memorial wall somewhere in the lightless depths of his Ranch from his Lord's mana born light.

  
It's how Desians were trained, reared, to immortalize the fallen. To make sure the names of the dead were the first things they learned. That of fathers, brothers, sisters, those who passed were set to higher import than those who lived and lived under a Goddess born duty. Legacy was the blanket that wrapped about them to keep them warm, little wonder grudges were their passion and hate came so easily when from first breath to last you heard... _and here was so and so killed by this human._.. They were raised to an obligation to those before and lived under orders to succor those who'd come after.

  
While... understandable... there was a horror to it. Triet's Cardinal had been down to this wall of his so long it was one of the boy's first memories.

And it was a fond one.

"That's a lot of dead." Tylor breathed, when he dared asked how many Yashin knew, not personally Tylor did not want to strike flint to that tinder, so he asked those who he recalled by name. The boy's answer had been in the upper double digits, close to triple.

  
"Dad knew them all." The boy'd parried. "He... he's one of the long lived ones, the ones meant to live a millennia or more before he's Called. He raised some of them, trained them, then... Death came for them all and he's just there... except he's not. Not right now."

  
"What'd he be doing if he were there? Back home?" Tylor asked.

"What I'm doing, except he would haven't been as chicken shit as I am and he'd of shot Aurion."

"You're not a coward for being a better man than he is, kid. Hell,_ I_ want to deck him from time to time, he's _that_ much of a bastard when he's at his worst."

"He's pleasant?"

"I'm waiting for it, it'll be a miracle when it happens, something to look forward to."

  
The mercenary didn't even bristle, just looked tired and a bit uneasy as Tylor was all but sitting on his weapons and the Desians and he was not giving them back no matter what. The man had asked and been told to shut up or Tylor'd give the kid back his bow and let him shot, he'd _hold the mercenary down_ while the boy shot him, oaths be hanged, and that'd been that.

For now. Tylor had a mental bet with himself that he'd be hearing about this in the morning. While Yashin was being polite about his quiver he was watching Tylor closely like he wanted something but didn't have the courage to flat out ask. Really, if he heard a _word_ from _either_ of them he'd take the lot of steel to the nearest rise that looked over the sea and toss everything edged into the ocean. It likely wouldn't slow the man down if he _really_ wanted to kill them but it's make it harder and Tylor had no plans to go down without a fight.

And he was seated close enough the Desian could snap up his arrows and shoot if something really nasty came along, Aurion'd just have to run, or pick up a rock, Tylor hardly cared which right now.

Because_ fifty families_, Goddess help him and save the mercenary from himself, the man was in deep.

And if he took him on, honestly and truly fostered him into his flock... He'd be taking that burden for himself because that's what you did, when you were a priest, an ethical one. Their burdens were your own, you guided all to betterment because their sins were yours and you couldn't ascend with that much taint about you. He'd stand after his final day in Her Glory and before her Angels and would be asked, why he, one of Her Children, had _dared_ shepherded a soul so black men named after Demons spoke of it in hate... And then, right then, Tylor didn't have an answer.

So, in the silences of his mind, while black clad boy glared bloody hatred at a man who was returning that regard with more experience and bitterness... Tylor prayed, not for what to say or an easy path (both would be cheating in their way) but for time. Time enough to start fixing this, if it could be fixed. Most selfishly he prayed for at least enough time to live long enough to think of a reason for his impulse that might appease the divine.

Then shivered, as tenor of his own thoughts struck home.

It'd be like a merchant trying to play words to get a better sell, the condemned man to get out of a hanging while still guilty... Save it was a matter of souls, his, the boy's, the man's.

"Fuck." Tylor hissed, ignoring the looks of maybe concern from them both. 

He prayed, with burning eyes, for forgiveness, and let Martel pick and chose what she would of his sins to pardon, if any of them... And felt a bit cleaner for it if nothing else. A hair lighter.

"I'm..." _Honesty_. Anything less would cheapen it for them all, because bitterly he knew, they were _his_, this demonling child and mercenary hell bent on self destruction. They both were and they were coming along no matter what. He'd bend over backwards to make it occur, didn't trust this death obsessed Cardinal to do right, the holes in this kids soul were visible and terrifying... As for the mercenary, he'd never met a man who was a void before, a well sans bottom, sans walls, and those depth intimidated him... And Raine was going to _kill_ him, she hated when he invited strays and there were very impressive ones. "I'm _working_ on fine, my thoughts are going where I don't like them and it's hard to get them to stop."

"About what?" Desian huffed, reaching up to adjust the nothingness that'd been his quiver, he winced at finding nothing there though.

"Have either one of you ever.. ah... discomforted a member of the fairer sex and... well had to make amends?"

Because Raine was going to kill him, then bury the body, then bring him back to do so again. Multiple times. He'd check her for fever if she didn't.

"Uhm... last time I had to make up for it, she had me hack the main data base for a rivals notes... it took almost a month and she would not _stop_ icing my coffee till I did it." The desian confessed. Then, wryly. "the withdraw was awful. I'd let it thaw and she'd just sneak to my desk and do it again. So i microwaved it, and she did it through the microwave and... Women are scary and explosions are awful."

Silence fell, unable to resist rattling the mercenary cage he flicked the man a look heavy with encouragement.

Kratos Aurion sighed, sounding older than the stones and perhaps a bit amused he chimed in. "Long ago... well she had a good aim." Locks rustled under a gloved hand that soothed some long ago ache. "A vicious right hook, and I learned not to cross women after her."


End file.
